Meet the two newest members of Apple’s iPhone family: a much faster, fully 64-bit iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, essentially a tweaked iPhone 5 available in multiple colors. Both phones will launch simultaneously on Sept. 20. Apple revealed the phones during a press event at its corporate campus in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday afternoon.

Apple claims the iPhone 5S is up to twice as fast for both CPU and graphics and says the new A7 processor housed within includes over a billion transistors — twice as many as the A6 processor in the iPhone 5, while retaining the same footprint (iOS 7 has apparently been updated to take advantage of the new 64-bit architecture too). The iPhone 5S will be available in black, gold or silver colors.

The iPhone 5S also includes something Apple calls an M7 motion co-processor, which keeps tabs on the device’s accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. Apple says this will enable new types of health and fitness apps, like a new Nike+ Move app that keeps track of how active you are.

As expected, the iPhone 5S will include a touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button. It’ll scan fingerprints in any orientation as well as subdermal fingerprint layers, and Apple noted you can use it to unlock your phone without a PIN or make iTunes purchases without entering a password. Lest you worry that data’s being stored in the cloud, Apple confirmed it’s not backed up or stored on Apple’s servers, and that it’s encrypted and locked within the A7 chip — it’s not directly accessible by software.

Camera-wise, the iPhone 5S’s aperture is slightly larger than the iPhone 5’s, the f-number dropping from f/2.4 to f/2.2 (lower is better). It’ll also do auto image stabilization, allowing you to take multiple photos at once and combine the sharpest parts of each. You can now operate in Burst Mode (hold the shutter to snap up to 10 frames per second) or use a SloMo camera app that lets you shoot video at up to 120 frames per second at 720p.

To demonstrate the power of the iPhone 5S, Apple brought Epic Games onstage to announce and then show off Infinity Blade 3 — apparently the conclusion of Epic’s mobile action-strategy trilogy — with up to eight worlds on tap.

While Apple didn’t delve into specifics about the A7’s 64-bit architecture, the 64-bit shift typically allows computers to access more than 4 GB of memory. That’s not something Apple needs today, but there’s a theory that Apple’s laying the groundwork for much more powerful iPhones and iPads. With the A7 chip, Apple is kicking off that transition now, so it won’t have to keep supporting a 32-bit operating system in a few years.

The iPhone 5S looks to be priced in line with prior models: $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB or $399 for 64 GB — all with two-year cellular contracts.

The iPhone 5C, by comparison, includes Apple’s older (but still powerful) A6 processor, an 8-megapixel camera, polycarbonate casing without seams or cracks, a higher battery capacity than prior iPhones and availability in multiple colors, including white, blue, yellow, red and green. It includes a front-facing FaceTime HD camera capable of taking sharper pictures, and will sell for less than the iPhone 5 originally did: $99 (16 GB) or $199 (32 GB) with a two-year contract; Apple’s listing the unlocked pricing for the iPhone 5C on its website as $550 (16 GB) and $650 (32 GB). Colorized custom cases will sell for $29, and the cases have holes in the back, allowing you to create a two-tone look if you prefer.

Internally, the iPhone 5C seems similar to the current iPhone 5, with some improvements to battery life and front-facing camera quality. The main differences are the external design and the availability of a $200 32-GB version, which previously hasn’t been available in lower-tier iPhone models. It’s still unclear what the off-contract price will be.

Both the iPhone 5S and 5C will ship with iOS 7, which has a flatter, more modern look than previous versions, and adds major new features. For instance, users can swipe up to reveal a quick-settings menu called Command Center, and send photos directly to other iOS devices and Macs using a feature called AirDrop. Apple said iOS 7 would be available for free starting Sept. 18 for existing iPhone 4 (and up), iPad 2 (and up), iPad Mini and fifth-generation iPod Touch users.

Interestingly, the iPhone 4S is still alive: Apple will continue to sell an 8-GB model that’ll be free on contract, so it seems it’s just the letter-free iPhone 5 that’s dying here.

When can you preorder the new iPhones? Apple confirmed Sept. 13 for the iPhone 5C; the iPhone 5S will be available in store (as will the 5C) and for order on Sept. 20.

No bigger improved is shown in the Iphone5s, I think I will wait another long year to see if it´s time to drop my Iphone 5 to the 6, you´d better put your brain into good use, we consumers need much more than you can offer us lately.

The first rule of security is not to write down you passwords and leave them where a potential abuser can find them and compromise your accounts. With that in mind...a lost or stolen iPhone is going to be covered with your password.

I've had an iPhone 4s for almost two years now (it replaced a stolen iPhone 4) and I have had no problems with it aside from the occasional app crashes, and starting recently, the phone will freeze for a few seconds, sometimes to where I have reboot the device. Would it be in my best interest to wait until the iPhone 6 is released? Or just pick up the iPhone 5 when the price drops? (I'm not eligible for an upgrade for two years-- my brother used my last one) On the other hand, is the iPhone 5s worth the extra cash? I love iOS because of its simplicity and flawlessness (in my personal opinion!). I'm an avid "smartphone photographer" and I've been perfectly happy with my 4s's camera but ready to upgrade. I understand that some Android phones (e.g. HTC One) have amazing cameras, and I've done research, but Apple's operating system is definitely for me. Any suggestions?

I had problem with fingerprint scanners before on a safe I have. I gave up on it.

I am really disappointed in APPLE. I really hoped they would come out with a larger phone this year, and they didn't. I sold my APPLE stock following this latest announcement. I am through with APPLE..

Here is why a larger phone is needed.

1. For surfing the internet, the bigger the screen, the better. I often give up on using my iPhone for internet searches because the screen is just too damn small.

2. The itsy-bitsy keyboard is too tiny for my male fingers.

3. I am farsighted. I don't wear reading glasses during the day. I can't read the tiny letters on the iPhone.

4. The iPhone is too small for navigation and for finding locations on maps.

5. The iPhone now has THE smallest smart phone screen.

6. I am not suggesting that APPLE replace their phone with one that has a big honking screen. Somewhere between the size of the iPhone screen, and the largest smart phone screens there is a happy medium. Clearly most consumers want a phone with a screen larger than the one the iPhone has.

7. If APPLE increased the width of their phone so another row of icons could be displayed, it would not be hard to hold. it would still easily fit in a man's pant's pocket, it would make all the difference in the world.

APPLE could not afford to wait another year to make this change. Many people with iPhones have been waiting a long time for APPLE to increase the size of their phone. At the very least they ought to have come out with two models, one larger than the other.

They should have made their new iPhone more water resistant, more durable, with a longer battery life. APPLE is not using the profits they made from the iPhone to make it a better product. I feel sick. And I have lost a lot of money lately in APPLE stock which I will be selling.

Everyone I know who has an iPhone is migrating to other phones because the iPhone screen is too small for them. These customers will never come back to APPLE.

Apart from the fingerprint sensor(which was already known) an absolutely disappointing launch by Apple. Nothing special and what to do with a A7 64-bit processor on a phone?? Play Games?!?!? No way! Some Android phone manufacturer might come up with a retina scanner now!

Will anyone who objects to NSA intrusion now object to an iPhone potentially able to harvest the finger prints of millions of Amercans? Someone will say that the digtal prints won't leave the phone, but who's to say? There is no FIFA court to monitor Apple, is there?

As an iPhone user for a number of years now, I've never recommended going with there midstream launches! I always recommend buying the new line when it come out. So, buy the 4, 5, 6 etc, not the 4s, 5s, etc...

@FrankShore
My friend your rant is entirely understandable but also "Subjective".
Those of us who like the Iphone do so because of the simplicity,
dependability and elegance of both the appearance,and functionality of
phone, nothing more. I owned Androids for the last 6 years, and continue
to run LINUX on my laptop (Androids are a LINUX based operating system)
but I found that the direction of the developers was toward "Gimmicks"
and things that I had no use for during the course of the day. I
switched to Iphone and I am so happy that I did! Enjoy your Android
after all it's your life and obviously works for you, just not my cup of
tea anymore.

As I'm trying to collect opinions on this, do you think that the 5 is on-par (though of course not identical internally) to the 5s? Or will the 6 be just amazing and I should just wait? (Not that you or any of us KNOW anything about the 6 yet, but speculation.)